Bangali cuisine

Avantika felt embarrassed as she went there as if she was going in a date. All thanks to Anand, he gave her false hope. But did he ever said date by himself? She was just day dreaming. Those trainers there tried hard to suppress their laughter, they didn't want to get scolded by Anand.

Her first performance was not too bad. She needed to learn a lot of things though. After getting out of the shooting range, she looked at Anand with anger.

"What was that?"

"What?" Anand wanted to laugh at her cute pout.

"You could have told me. It was so embarrassing to come here like this. And why do you think I need to learn shooting? I mean why will anyone harm me? They wouldn't dare. I am the daughter of Ansh Lahiri for God's sake." She knew only the name of her dad was enough to keep anyone away from her.

Anand laughed at her confidence, "I never said they must harm you. I am just trying to keep a safe side. And about your dad, underworld activities never cares about a billionaire, they only care about blood. As long as I know, you dad is not connected with crime world. So they won't even bother to count him." He explained the best he could.

There was a silence between then, not so comforting neither so awkward. After a long time, Anand opened his mouth, "Those persons I loved in my life, always left me without any reason. I once lived Amal Mehta, he called me a bastard. Mom left me. Asha and Avinash are not in a good term with me. My best friend Raunak, his life was not easy at all. And about Drishti, she even killed a person for survival. I noticed all the people around me always got stuck in problems. So I didn't want to take any chance about you. I just want to keep you safe. Maybe I won't afford to lose you."

He sighed deeply, "It's not about facts. It's about my fears. I don't want to hold these fears anymore. So I just thought like this. If you are not comfortable, than okay, you don't need to."

He found he was acting according to his wish. He needed to ask her about this. He sometimes becomes very sensitive when it comes to family. That was his only weakness.

"Not that I didn't like it. I always wanted to shoot. You know sometimes I used to watch crime dramas and imagined I was shooting the cops. You are making it possible."

Anand was about to smile but it fainted halfway as she said shooting the cops. Seriously?

"Why the cops? We should shoot the villains, the evils." Anand raised an eyebrow.

"I love evils more. I always support villains." She winked at him. Anand smiled bitterly but didn't say anything.

"Where are we going now? That's not my way home." She looked st him with confusion.

"I was about to go to airport to recieve my friends. They are returning to Kolkata tonight but as I'm with you now, I changed my plan." He smirked and pulled the break.

"What....!!" She looked outside the car window and found they were in front of a restaurant.

"You must be hungry. You lifted the heavy revolver after all. So I thought to feed you something." He smiled and opened the door for her. When they went inside, she found it was completely booked for them as not even a single soul was there.

She gasped noticing fragrant candles and flowers were all around. She turned her head to look at him. A genuine smile was tugged on his face.

"Whst dod you think I'm heartless? I didn't have a heart to lose your hopes. So I planned it too." He asked her to sit on a chair.

"That's beautiful. I loved it."

"You had no other option but loving. I prepared all these." He was talking like a narcissist.

They chatted a little about random things until the food came. She was confused to see the foods. All of them were bangali cuisine.

cumin rice, shukto, chicken, mustard hilsha, prawn malai kari and as a dessert kheer and rosgulla.

"I didn't try a lot of those." She was looking at the dishes carefully.

"Actually they the one of the most famous bangali dishes. I thought you need to try those. You are planning to live with a bangali and never tried those, it's not gonna happen." He smiled and served rice for her. When he toom rice in his plate, he understood she planned to try chicken first.

"Wait, take shukto at first. It's kind of Bangali ritual to start a meal with something a little bitter abd finish with sweets. I planned a traditional date." He served that too.

Avantika didn't know what to do. She found he was eating with hands. Her family was always strict about using spoons. Life with Anand was really new for her but she enjoyed a lot. According to his instructions, she tried all if those dishes and if course they were amazing. And somehow with with hand was more amazing than anything.

When they finished their meal, Anand asked curiously, "Did you like the foods? These were my mom's favourite. Even mom used to come in this restaurant a lot. So I took you here."

Avantika loved the way he recalled his mom in everything. A sigh unknowingly came out of her mouth remembering his past. He only had his mom then.

"Foods were great. Just a little new for me. I've never ate using hands. If dad knows that, he won't me marry you." She laughed out.

"I don't think so. He won't even find a good boy like me."

"You are such a narcissist." She rolled her eyes.

He just smiled instead of any reply. Suddenly he got up from his seat and kissed her forehead, "I have reasons to be a narcissist. Because only I have you."